Conservative MPs defend Northern Gateway pipeline decision

Jason Fekete, Ottawa Citizen06.18.2014

Government whip and spokesman for the Board of Internal Economy John Duncan makes a brief statement following a meeting of the committee in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.Adrian Wyld
/ Ottawa Citizen

Government whip and spokesman for the Board of Internal Economy John Duncan makes a brief statement following a meeting of the committee in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.Adrian Wyld
/ Ottawa Citizen

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Conservative MPs offered a muted defence Wednesday of the government’s approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline, often deflecting environmental questions over the project back to pipeline company Enbridge and the federal regulator.

British Columbia Conservative MPs, on the hot seat over their government’s approval of the oilsands pipeline, said while there is opposition to the project in B.C., they don’t believe it will hinder their re-election chances in 2015.

The federal government approved the project late Tuesday, subject to the 209 conditions imposed by the National Energy Board joint review panel, which green-lighted the pipeline in December.

But no minister came out to defend the project that day. Instead, the government issued a written statement from Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford announcing conditional approval.

Wednesday, Harper said the government based its decision on the findings of the NEB panel and that it’s now incumbent upon the pipeline “proponent” — he didn’t list Enbridge by name — to meet the conditions.

“The government is acting on the advice of an independent, scientific panel that thoroughly reviewed these matters. The government has applied the conditions demanded by that panel. It is now up to the proponent to assure the regulator, going forward, that it will indeed comply with those conditions,” Harper told the House of Commons.

“The government has to base its findings on the facts and on the hearings as they transpired.”

Harper has declared it’s “in the vital interest” of B.C. and Canada to diversify energy markets with infrastructure projects such as pipelines that can get Canadian resources to new customers.

In 2012, the government announced that it, not the NEB, would make the final decision on pipeline projects in the “national interest” — including the Northern Gateway.

The $6.5-billion pipeline would take diluted bitumen from northern Alberta to the deep-water port of Kitimat, B.C. for shipment by tanker to Asian markets.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said Wednesday that while Harper and his cabinet have been “shilling” for the pipeline for three years, the government now won’t stand up to strongly defend the need for it.

Many B.C. Conservative MPs were unwilling to speak Wednesday about the government’s decision. Several Tories quickly shuffled past reporters on the way in and out of a Conservative caucus meeting in Ottawa.

The B.C. Conservative MPs who stopped to chat acknowledged there’s opposition to the project in their home province. But they insist there’s also significant support for the pipeline.

“Yes, I am comfortable (with the decision). The government has followed the proper process and there’s much work left to do,” said Minister of State John Duncan, Conservative MP for Vancouver Island North.

“There’s people on both sides of the issue.”

Mark Warawa, Tory MP for Langley, said “there is some anger” in his riding about the approval, but added he’s also getting letters of support for the decision.

“I don’t believe my chances of re-election will be hurt,” he said.

David Wilks, MP for Kootenay-Columbia, does not believe the government’s approval will produce any significant political problems for B.C. Conservative MPs.

“I don’t think it’s going to be as big a deal as everyone thinks it is.”

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